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A number of rhododendrons discovered in the Himalayas by Sir Joseph Hooker have been planted in this area, and it is here that it is hoped to establish a Magnolia Campbellii, named by Hooker for Archibald Campbell, British Political Agent to Sikkim. Darjeeling is planted on slopes above the Black Beck, and Sita Gate leading in from Tail Head is named after the Vedic earth goddess, and the character abducted to Lanka by Ravana in the Ramayana.  The site faces the backs of the terraced houses on the opposite side of the beck. The principal sections are named after local families, Caddy Bank and Jacques Arc, with the flat area through which the public footpath leads over two stiles to Haile Bank Farm, named Walker’s Landing.

 

Before the land was acquired the field was barely visible through the thick foliage of mature elm and sycamore trees. But by 2002 the elms were dying or had already fallen. These were felled along with the remaining sycamores, over a number of years, and the lower slopes were landscaped to create viable paths for tractors and mowers. Along the bank sycamore have been replaced with Metasequoia glypostroboides, Dawn Redwood; alders Alnus incana aurea, and A. incana pendula, Viburnum opulus, Guelder Rose; Salix alba Caerulea, Cricket bat Willow; Salix pentandra, Bay Willow, and Quercus for members of the Jacques family.

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Oriental trees include Sophora japonica, Pagoda Tree, and Gingko biloba, Maidenhair Tree; Limes Tilia oliverii; and T.henryii; Toona sinensis, Chinese mahogany, Salix babylonica, Weeping Willow, and S. setsuka, Japanese fantail Willow.  Hippophae Rhamnoides, Sea Buckthorn has not taken, but Berberis thunbergii provides some protection from invasive neighbours across the Black Beck, with Viburnum opulus, Amelanchier canadensis, Cornus alba sibirica and elegantissima thickening up beneath

the taller trees.

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The first plants to go in were above the steep slopes: Pinus wallichiana, Bhutan pine, named for the superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden; Pinus tabuliformis, Chinese pine, Cedrus deodora, Deodar and a Platanus orientalis, Oriental Plane; Pinus leucodermis, Bosnian Pine, P.bungei, Lace Bark Pine, and P. parviflora, Japanese White Pine, were planted further

down the slopes.

 

Shelter has been increased by planting numbers of Larix leptolepis, Japanese larch and Betula pendula, Silver Birch, in 2010, on the slope facing the prevailing wind, and Cupressus macrocarpa, Monterey cypress and Griselinia litoralis, serviceable trees intended to provide shelter for more delicate species. More recently Pinus thunbergii, Japanese Black Pine, which is supposed to be tolerant of sea winds has been planted in various locations. One of the Deodars was blown over after having done well for about ten years.

 

Aesculus indica, Indian horse chestnut and Picea smithiana, Morinda, have struggled, although in more sheltered locations elsewhere they appear to be flourishing. Arbutus unedo, Killarney strawberry trees, flanking Sita Gate, which had been doing well were badly damaged by wind in 2017. On Walker's Landing, apart from an English oak, Quercus acutissima, Q. palustris, Pin Oak have been planted, and near the beck Q. castaneifolia, Chestnut leaved Oak ‘Green Spire’; Fraxinus angustifolia, Aesculus indica and A. turbinata; Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple. Liquidambar and Juglans nigra, American Walnut, have struggled here, being too brittle in the wind. Ulmus glabra, Wych Elm, is to be planted soon.

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BANK HILL FIELD

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Schifanoia

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Schifanoia is named after the suburban villa decorated for Duke Borso d’Este in Ferrara, and the gate leading in from Bank Hill is named for the Valmarana family, who have a Giardino Inglese, a landscape garden, created in the early nineteenth century at Saonara, near Padua. This gate opens onto a circular grove of laurels dedicated to various friends from time spent at Villa I Tatti, outside Florence, the laurel being a reference to Lorenzo de’ Medici, to Petrarch’s Laura, and to the poets’ crown. In the centre is a Medlar, Mespilus germanica.  A narrow path between hornbeam hedges, called Würzburg Allee relates to visits to Franconia for the Mozartfest held in the Residenz in Würzburg, and to the garden by the river Main at Veitshöchheim. This is one of the few parts of the arboretum where geometrical formality is applied

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Birch Walk, planted with silver birch looks down onto the Red Beck,  leading to a group of yews dedicated to members of the Tuohy family and a group of Quercus petraea, Sessile Oak, referred to as Irish Oaks after the notable forest at

Coolattin in Co Wexford.

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Schifanoia is a long relatively narrow section, with a hedge of Berberis thunbergii, with Viburnum opulus and Chaenomales japonica to separate it from Bank Hill. Outside the I Tatti Grove space is provided for a slow growing Fagus sylvatica “Asplenifolia” , Fern leaved Beech.  Protection in this section is provided by groups of Acer platanoides, Norway Maple, and Castanea sativa, Sweet chestnut. Other beech in Schifanoia include F. s. “Miltonensis”, a weeping form, and F.s. ‘Riversii’, with dark purple leaves. 

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This is the highest part of the arboretum above the Red Beck and the most visible from Mill Lane when entering the village. For this reason it has been planted with a number of tall evergreens: firs, Abies alba, European Silver Fir; A.cephalonica, Greek Fir,

A. delavayi, Delavay’s Silver Fir; A. nordmanii, Caucasian Fir; and A. veitchi, Veitch’s Silver Fir) a Picea omorika, Serbian Spruce, and a few pines, Pinus cembra, Arolla or Swiss Stone Pine; and Pinus pinea, Italian Stone Pine.  There is a Pinus ponderosa,

Western Yellow Pine, in the corner near the Irish oaks, another family dedication.

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There are also a few examples of Sorbus: aria, Whitebeam, aria lutescens, cashmiriana; commixta, Japanese Rowan; discolour, hupehensis, ‘Joseph Rock’, and thibetica 'John Mitchell' and for added autumn colour Acer cappadocicum aureum, Golden Cappadocian Maple. The I Tatti Grove is now very sheltered, and even in the winter it is warm enough to sit out in on a sunny day. There were problems initially in establishing the laurels. Some large leaved rhododendrons interrupt the formality originally intended, but these showy trees would find favour with some Italian dedicatees.

 

Laricio 

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To provide further shelter for Schifanoia, outside Valmarana Gate, in Bank Hill, a group of Pinus nigra laricio was planted in 2016. Looking down the slope to the left is the Austro Hungarian Quincunx, a group of eight Austrian pines, planted as a double quincunx, a reference to the double headed eagle of the Habsburgs. These are also dedicated to some of the émigrés from

Central Europe, who settled in West Cumberland.

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In this exposed site some of the original planting failed and another form of Pinus maritima, Corsican pine has been planted to give a harlequin arrangement, at least for now. As a particular tribute to Tomi de Gara and Miki Sekers, who established the West Cumberland Silk Mills in 1938, and created Rosehill Theatre near Whitehaven, which opened in 1959, a pair of Quercus frainetto, Hungarian Oaks were planted, the first trees to be seen on entering the arboretum from the Bank Hill entrance. Unfortunately these trees struggled and failed, and were replaced a few years later by Q. cerris, Turkey Oak, which have demonstrated their resilience in the bracing conditions of the site elsewhere in the arboretum. Nevertheless they continue to be referred to as the ‘Hungarian’ Oaks. 

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Plutonium Plot, refers to the local nuclear industry. Dedicated to Thomas Tuohy Snr a Wellingtonia,  Sequoiadendron gigantea has been planted here and after three failures the fourth survives rather than thrives. The Wellingtonia is surrounded by four Austrian pines dedicated to people who played important roles in the development of atomic energy in this country, and is also a reference to the location in Vienna of the seat of the International Atomic Agency. Other trees in Plutonium Plot are Pinus pinea dedicated to people involved with Calder Hall and Windscale.

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Musegarth

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Entered by Apollo Gate, Musegarth is essentially an apple orchard with dedications to devotees of the Muses, principally musicians and artists. This is enclosed by a hedge of Acer campestre, Field Maple, set with a few Rosa canina providing a good harvest of hips for the birds, To the left of the gate is a Caucasian Elm, Zelkova carpinifolia, dedicated to the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. At this end of Musegarth in March 2006 two South American Beech were planted, Nothofagus procera, Rauli and Nothofagus oblique, Roble, the latter, oak in Spanish, suggesting a dedication to a member of the Robley family. Both trees grew rapidly and the Rauli does very well, but the Roble was so bent by the wind it had to be staked, and it subsequently deteriorated.  

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A Bhutan Pine, P. wallichiana between the Nothofagus marks the central axis of the orchard planting, and a Mexican weeping Pine P. patula was placed at the far end. This was over ambitious and it only lasted for a few years before being replaced with a hardier but much less attractive Cupressus macrocarpa., Monterey Cypress.

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The apple trees planted, all old varieties chosen largely for their names, are listed here: on MM106 rootstock: Allington Pippin, Adams Pearmain, Ashmeads Kernel, Blenheim Orange, Court of Wick, Devonshire Quarendon, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Devonshire, Egremont Russet, Ellisons Orange, Keswick Codlin, Lucombes Pine, Orleans Reinette, Peasgood Nonsuch, Ribston Pippin, Rosemary Russet. On M25 rootstock: Barnack Beauty, Cornish Gilliflower, Lord Derby, Pitmaston Pineapple, Pomeroy of Somerset. In March 2018 additional apples on M26 rootstock were planted: Cox’s Orange Pippin, Cox’s Pomona, Hormead Pearmain, Merton Russet and Norfolk Beauty. Some plums and gages, and some quince, Cydonia oblonga have yet to justify themselves in the Musegarth, but a Cydonia planted in Pre Catelan bore fruit well soon after planting in 2002.

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Musegarth includes a small nuttery, walnut, hazel and Kentish cobnut,as well as a small collection of Crab apples: Floribunda, Golden Hornet, Hupehensis, John Downie, Purpurea Eleyi, and Toringo sargentii. In one corner are planted four Yoshino Cherries, Prunus yedoense, dedicated to interpreters of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and between these a Thuja plicata zebrina , Western Red Cedar and a Chamaecyparis lawsonii Nootkatensis, Nootka cypress.  

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On entering Bank Hill through the field gate, to the right is the Lambing Shed, with a potential Potager, kitchen garden, behind it which has yet to be properly designed beyond establishing a hornbeam hedge to provide shelter from the northerly winds.

 

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